Balancing device for washing machines



June 30, 1953 M. 1.. NEHER 2,543,536

BALANCING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1949 aymi' Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED STATES EATENT OFFICE BALANCING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a balancing mechanism for laundry machines. It will be described as applied to a multicylinder continuous type of Washing machine employing a high speed rotary extractor on a horizontal axis. In general, the balancing mechanism of this invention is incorporated into a Washing machine of the type and character more fully shown and described in the Donald W. Sessions application Serial No. 174,284, filed June 26, 1950. Obviously the invention has wider application but the description and explanation as applied to the continuous type of washing machine herein will be fully explanatory.

There are many advantages inherent in a horizontal cylinder carrying rotary washer and particularly in a washer of this kind employing a high speed extractor of the centrifugal type as one of the washing cycle stages, as, for example, in the continuous washer about to be described. One of the advantages of this rotor type of machine is the end loading and discharge of the cylinders therethrough which is most advantageous in a horizontal axis washing machine. However, there are serious disadvantages arising from the rocking vibrations caused by out-ofbalance loads as is well appreciated in this art. It is advantageous to load the cylinders into a machine of this type at bench or working height, but when the cylinders are so placed in the machine the rocking vibrations caused by such high settings necessitate a rather broad base to counteract and stabilize the rocking action. Such wide bases are expensive and very disadvantageous in a crowded laundry where more than one machine is required. In fact, a large number of laundries d not have space wide enough to conveniently install broad based machines. Also, the stresses created by therocking vibration forces require heavier and more expensive construction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dual washer mounted in a single frame and base of relatively narrow width and including means to resist and reduce horizontal rocking action.

Another object is to provide a dual washer extractor and drying mechanism in a single unit having minimum base width in an optimum combination.

Another object is to provide a dual Washer mechanism that reduces the rocking vibratory forces from out-of-balance loads.

And a still further object is to provide a dual washer of minimum vibratory stresses and minimum size, weight and cost.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of my dual washer with portions thereof broken away and in section to illustrate structural details thereof and with the driving mechanisms of only one of the adjacent rotor sets illustrated, the other driv ing mechanism being omitted for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a general diagrammatic perspective view of the dual rotors employed in the washer shown in Fig. 1 there being three open ended rotors in each set placed end to end;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing out-of-balance loading of the cylinders which will later be explained;

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the out-of-balance loads adjusted into balanced relationship as will later be explained; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a diagrammatic plan view of the power drive arrangement for one of the analogous sets of rotors that are laterally positioned in axial alignment with the other sections of the rotors. V

Now referring to the drawings and at the outset to Fig. 1, numeral Ill designates a unitary base and frame structure in which is rotatably mounted a pair of rotors ll and [2 each consisting of three end to end cylindrical rotor sections that are better shown in Fig. 2. These rotors have perforations l ip and 12p in the walls thereof and carry peripherally arranged fluid dippers or scoops such as Us to pick up washing fluid normally maintained at predetermined levels within the frame vats Ho and lit. The washing fluid is discharged by the dippers through the rotor perforationsllp and lZp and through the per forations such as i5 0 in the clothes carrying cylinders in the rotors to wash the clothing in the respective cylinders and at the washing stages of the rotors. In the left hand rotor II carrying a plurality of clothes confining cylinders, one of the individual washing cylinders is shown at It at it appears When it has been inserted within the open end lea of the rotor. On the right another cylinder I5 is shown as it is ready to be inserted into the rotor l2 through opening l2a, in the front frame wall. It will be understood that successive clothes washing cylinders are fed into the rotors until the rotors are completely filled with cylinders. The cylinders in each rotor group are separated by central bearing bosses Ila and I2?) which effectively separate adjacent cylinders permitting them to rotate independently of each other. The drive between the cylinders and a rotor carrying such cylinders is mainly by friction assisted by retractable spring pawls to drive the cylinders, such pawls preferably being of the type and character better shown and described in the Sessions application hereinbefore referred to. As cylinders are inserted they move the forward cylinders through the rotor from one washing stage to another. Then when rotors are filled, each inserted cylinder ejects another cylinder at the discharge ends. It will be understood that the cylinders are loaded with selected batches of clothes to be washed and that each of the cylinders have perforations [p therein for entry and exit of the washing solutions. 1

Now referring to Fig. 2. it will be observed that the rotors consist of three separately driven sec-' tions. The first section I6 is arranged to take 7 cylinders when fully charged and rotor i1 con fines one cylinder while rotor 1.8 may have three cylinders. matically indicated in Fig. 2 in dot and dash lines. Rotors I6 each indicate seven cylinder positions of which [6w represent four washing stage locations while [67' represent three rinsing stages. Detergent solutions or washing water carried in vats i It and I20 are used in the washing process and these solutions are dipper fed to the cylinders as previously pointed out. Appropriate rotor driving means may be employed to rotate the respective rotors upon their respective supporting roller bearings carried by the frame construction of the washing machine. The washing and rinsing rotors are driven at 30 revolutions per minute in opposite directions. The rotors are revolved 5 revolutions in one direction and then 5 revolutions in the opposite direction. The mechanism for driving the rotors is conventional as shown in Figs. land 5. It consists of a motor '20 which in some cases may be an automatically reversing motor and dual chain drives 2| to the rotors 18 through .a pair of reversing gears 22. The single rotors [1 are extractor rotors and are revolved at the same speed of about 600 R. P; M. unidirectionally in opposite directions as clearly shown by the arrows .in the drawings.

The rotors it are drying rotors and are preferably revolved at'about 30 R. P. by the motor 20, each of these rotors containing about three clothes carrying cylinders like i4'or'15.

From the foregoing it will be understood and appreciated that the pairs of sets of rotors are power driven in a conventional manner in oppositely rotating directions. The purpose of this will "later'be explained. However, it will be understood that the high speed extractor rotors are the major source-of vibration and the balancing deviceis particularly applied to and exp'lainedfor this'rotor. Naturally, the other rotorshave minor eirects in the same manner as described for the extractor rotor. Allsix rotors vnaturallyhave a combined coacting effect on the frame.

Now referring toFigs. 3 and 4, I diagrammatically show the frame It rotatably supporting the rotor structures 1 and L2 on imaginary axes L and R, for the purposeof this .discussion. Obviously, the rotors are outside supported. on pairs of suitablesets of rollers, .one pair lilmand Iin being shown .in conjunction with a .suitable peripheralrotor rail I Ir asindicated ,1 to support theadjacent end of rotor 16 .of the entire rotor iii. The out-.of-balance loads are indicated by A-andB and thedirection of rotation of the rotors isindicated by arrows.

N ow assuming that :the opposite .two rotors .revolve .at the same .speed, that they are about equally loaded, and that the water .and clothes The cylinder locations are diagram- I are free t take up any position within the cylinders. The rollers such as llm and Mn are carried on bearings or load bearing brackets I he and II that are rigidly connected to the frame wall 10a and to the water vat frame partition wall lllb. The rotor bearing supporting frame Ii] is resiliently supported upon spring-like units such as the rubber legs or feet l9 spaced along the peripheral base edges of the frame as shown in Fig. 1. The frame I0, therefore, includes laterally outwardly extending stabilizing portions [0c and lild at laterally outward locations with respect to the rotors H and I2, and these outward poritons of the frame [0 are supported upon the resilient supports or rubbers [9 whereby the frame is adapted to be more or less free to rock about some axis 0 parallel to the cylinder axes L and R.

We shall assume that constant and equal driving torques are applied in opposite directions to the two rotor cylinder axes and we will also consider the reactive torques due to the eccentric loads A and B as about equal. As the cylinders revolve, each of these reactive torques varies between maximum and minimum due to the effects of gravity when they are being lifted and then when they are descending. The diiference between the constant driving torques whose sum is zero and the variable reactive torques whose sum is not in general zero necessarily results in a variable net torque about the rocking axis 0 which can only be offset by the elastic reactions of the supports as for example the resilient means 19. The result is thus in general a rocking motion of the whole machine about 0. This effect will reduce to zero when and only when the loads adjust themselves in the cylinders so as always to be symmetrical with respect to the mid-plane and as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. In this conditionnot only the two constant driving torques but the two reactive torques are at every instant equal and opposite. It will be clear that this cancellation or torques cannot be attained at all if the two cylinders revolve in the same direction. This is the important feature of my invention.

The mechanism by which the readjustment of the loads above described takes place automatically is the interplay of centrifugal forces which act in a similar way as applied to the old loose weight balancing rings which have commonly been applied in the art to single tub vertical washers. This device is adequately shown by the old patent to Fesca, No. 125,036, which shows the balancing rings referred to and which has been widely copied in the art. This is an old theory and has been clearly shown and explained in the prior patent art. However, my application is different as applied to a dual machine. The centrifugal pull by either load to the right causes a horizontal tilting displacement of the frame which makes the other load move relatively to the left and vice versa. This continues until finally the symmetrical condition depicted in Fig. 4 is attained. At the same time the horizontal components of the centrifugal forces now neutralize each other. The rocking motion therefore ceases. The vertical components of centrifugal forces are naturally still additive, which forces are absorbed'by the springy mounting members such as the resilient units I9.

A rigorous mathematical and physical analysis of the subject is so complicated that no further attempt will be made to explain. Suffice it to state that mystructure is highly successful and that important and beneficial resultsare attained as desired. I am aware that many variations of my structure may be practiced without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not desire to be limited to such variations in structure.

I now claim, as new:

1'. A laundry machine comprising a bearing structure, a pair of generally cylindrical multisection open ended and hollow rotors supported upon said structure to revolve upon parallel horizontal axes, clothes carrying cylinders freely carried in the rotor sections, said rotor sections comprising means to rotate said clothes carrying cylinders therein and to guide same between predetermined stations of operation along the axes of said multisection rotors, power means to rotate certain of said rotor sections in opposite directions and at equal speeds, and resilient means supporting said bearing structure to counteract oir center clothes loads in the cylinders in said oppositely driven rotor sections.

2. A laundry machine comprising a frame, two generally cylindrical multisection open ended and hollow rotors supported upon said frame for rotation upon horizontal parallel axes, clothes carrying cylinders freely supported within the rotor sections, said rotor sections each comprising means to revolve said clothes carrying cylinders disposed within the section and providing guide means for said cylinders as the latter are advanced between predetermined positions longitudinally through said sections, drive means to revolve said sections at equal speeds in opposite directions, said frame having portions thereof terminating laterally outwardly beyond the rotor positions, and resilient means connected with said laterally positioned portions of said frame to permit frame oscillation about an axis parallel to said rotor axes whereby resilient oscillatory halancing motion of the frame is permitted to allow self adjustment of off balance clothes loads in adjacent cylinders carried in like sections of said oppositely revolving rotor sections.

3. A progressive cylinder type clothes washing machine comprising a resiliently supported rigid frame, parallel rotors carried by said frame each comprising a plurality of axially aligned hollow sections, said sections occurring in laterally positioned pairs in the two rotors, clothes carrying cylinders freely supported in said rotor sections, and power means to drive corresponding pairs of rotor sections at equal speeds in opposite directions whereby oif balanced clothes loads in laterally positioned cylinders in like rotor sections are automatically adjusted by means of the composite reactionary forces transmitted to said resiliently supported frame.

MILTON L. NEI-IER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 220,994 Sharp et al Oct. 28, 1879 223,717 Dorris Jan. 20, 1880 267,098 Mills Nov. 7, 1882 613,401 Stonebridge Nov. 1, 1898 1,220,308 Young Mar. 27, 1917 1,584,770 I-Iurd May 18, 1926 1,966,589 Lewis July 17, 1934 2,175,435 Hyde Oct. 10, 1939 2,318,806 Sisson May 11, 1943 2,349,823 Howard May 30, 1944 2,427,189 Boulade Sept. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 409,390 Great Britain May 3, 1934 

